no more skinny legs

from 10-16-2022

 I was able to get the wheel pants and the leg fairings on this last week. No more skinny legs.

Using two laser levels from Harbor Freight made it easier than the factory instructions. One level kept it aligned, the second was used to mark where to drill the holes in the brackets when the pants were placed on.

As you can see in the picture, I did it before the wings were on. I can not see doing this with the wings on. I pity the fool...Mr T

from 10/29/22

After the fairings were fitted, I took them off and added gear leg stiffeners. In the past, others have reported the rod steel gear legs wuld shimmy. This is most likely due to the fact that the gear legs can move up and down, fore and back, with the same easiness. The gear leg stiffeners make the gear resist the fore and aft shimmy, abut do not detract from the up and down flex.

Traditionally these have been made of wood molding from Lowe's and then fiber glassed onto the gear legs, under the fairings. Lately, others have started using metal strips held on with clamps. 

I followed Paul Dye’s lead and used adel clamps, one of each size and one layer of gorrilla tape instead of the rubber inserts. I wanted some adhesive that would grip the legs and not let the clamps wiggle down the tapered leg.

I bent the adel clamps so the gap was centered on the hoop, if that makes sense. I ended up putting the metal between the adel clamps to align the metal with the centroid of the legs.

For screws I used steel button head allen type 10-32s and thin (shear) self locking nuts.

The clamps worked out to be exactly the same distance apart with the total distance between top clamp and lowest about 20.25”

I am really happy with the way it turned out, but proof is in the first flight. Tell then….

Panel Clean up

 from 10/12/22

I re installed the instruments and cleaned up as much as I could inside the plane. Once the wings are on, it will be impossible to get in there. 

Wheels and brakes

 from 9/24/22

Well cowling hold down pins are in and done.

I cleaned up the inside fuselage area, like tying up wires, adjusting flap mechanism, installing alternate static switch, etc

Also re installed all instruments and completed panel.

Started on the wheels and brakes, hoping to get this thing to stand on its legs soon.

The brakes and wheels installation really took some research. Thanks to those who came before for posting.

And the second picture: Gear On!

Cowling stuff

 I glued on the windscreen and aft canopy skirt with Sikaflex; This went as planned with no real drama.

I am working on the cowling now. I have the new nose gear, so the bottom is attached not with hinge material, but rather with screws into a plate. The sides and top still use the hinges.

I decided long ago that I would get the cowling and baffling done before putting the plane on the gear. So far the plan is working out well.

Today I drilled the bottom attachment screws 1/8" for cleco's. I will up drill for the 8-32 screws once every thing fits.

I found getting the front of the top and bottom sections trimmed and fitted was the secret to making the rear part line up correctly.

Attached is a picture of how I used a bottle jack to push everything into position to drill the bottom screw holes. Having the plane on a low stand, and not on the gear, really paid off.

I just need to do final trim on the fuse sides and the cowling sides, then install the hinges.

I will probably finish the baffles, the flap motor, elevator control linkages, and all the stuff inside before putting it on the gear.

Help in the shop

 So I started the canopy and had a little help in the shop.

Canopy Done? say it aint so....

 8/5/22 Update

So I think my windscreen frame and aft skirt is done for now. They are primed and (nearly) ready for the painter. I say nearly because it was perfect until I tried a quick repair and ended up making a depression when trying to fix a small pinhole; the prep for paint will have to take care of it.

I plan to have them glued on this week using Sikaflex.

Commenting from a earlier post, the fiberglass using the Aeroepoxy is plenty strong with only 4 layers of 9 oz. I had 5 on the front canopy windscreen frame so if a passenger grabs it it would not crack. the aft skirt is 4 layers and it is plenty strong enough. I really like the Aeroepoxy. I only had one batch that didn't set up properly (possibly operator error?). I found waiting 3 days after the layup was necessary to sand properly.

I am already starting the cowl, which I expect to be easier since that is just fitting an existing part, as opposed to creating the windscreen frame and aft skirt from scratch. I learned a lot, but I wish I can stop learning and get finished.....

I thought this would take me a month, it took me three. A non-removal windscreen and aft skirt would have been faster, but would not be as easy to get nice. I am glad I took the time to make them glue on pieces; so much easier to finish.

Fiberglassing - Final Stretch July 2022

 7/17/22

This week I got the front and rear skirts smoothed out enough with microballons / epoxy mixture to shot the first coat of primer.

I am using the Sherwin Williams sandable primer that builds up about 0.001" per layer. This stuff is really sweat. It goes on easy, sands well and produces a really smooth finish with 320 grit dry.

After first sanding, I found lots of defects in my fiberglass microballons / epoxy coat. For the final finish coat, I am going to shot over the primer with an Sherwin Williams aircraft paint, not so much to provide a finish painted surface, but rather to protect the primer and my final surface finish for the eventual aircraft painter. This paint and primer is compatible with the glazing compound one finds in the auto parts stores; making filling the pinholes and imperfections much easier and quicker.

For the windscreen, I squeegeed on a pure epoxy coat to fill the imperfections, but this didn't turn out so well. I ended up sanding most of the epoxy away to get it smooth again. The rear skirt I just smoothed with micro and epoxy, but I tried adding cab-o-sil to thicken it, and this was also a mistake. If I ever do this again, I will probably just do two coats of micro and epoxy; the first coat being thick to fill the big gaps, the second being thinner to fill the pinholes and remaining imperfections.